(4) 1. MAREFOSCHI, Prospero (1653-1732)
Birth. September 24, 1653, Monte Santo della Marca, archbishopric of Fermo (1). Youngest of the four children of Camillo Marefoschi and Speranza Guarnieri. The other children were Guarnerio, Giulia and Maria Giulia. Uncle of Cardinal Raniero Felice Simonetti (1747). Uncle of Cardinal Mario Marefoschi (1770).
Education. Studied at the University of Fermo, where he earned a doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law, on April 29, 1674.
Early life. Went to Rome after finishing his studies and practiced as a lawyer. Voter of the Supreme Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, toward the end of 1695. Referendary of the Supreme Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, November 29, 1695. Shortly after, he was named auditor of the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Secretary of the S.C. of Good Government in the pontificate of Pope Clement XI. Canon of the patriarchal Vatican basilica. Secretary of the S.C. of Ecclesiastical Immunity, July 1706. Received the diaconate, December 21, 1709.
Sacred orders. (No information found).
Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Cirene, June 1, 1711. Consecrated, June 7, 1711, church of S. Spirito in Sassia, Rome, by Cardinal Fabrizio Paolucci, assisted by Ferdinando Nuzzi, titular archbishop of Nicea, and by Domenico de Zaoli, titular archbishop of Teodosia. In the same ceremony was consecrated Giorgio Spinola, titular archbishop of Cesarea, future cardinal. Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, January 26, 1712. Uditore Santtissimi, October 1712; confirmed by the new Pope Innocent XIII, May 26, 1721.Transferred to the titular archiepiscopal see of Cesarea, February 3, 1721. Confirmed as Uditore Santissimi by the new Pope Benedict XIII, December 15, 1724.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 20, 1724; received the red hat and the title of S. Crisogono, January 29, 1725. Confirmed in his post, as pro-uditore until the election of a successor, December 20, 1724; occupied the post until his appointment as vicar general of Rome. Opted for the title of S. Callisto, November 19, 1725. Vicar general of Rome, June 13, 1726. Abbot commendatario of the abbey of Madignano, diocese of Crema, 1726. Opted for the title of S. Silvestro in Capite, September 20, 1728. Participated in the conclave of 1730, which elected Pope Clement XII.
Death. February 24, 1732, at 6 a.m., Rome (2). Exposed and buried in the church of S. Salvatore in Lauro, Rome, where the funeral also took place (3). An elegant monument to his memory was erected in that church, over the door to the sacristy, with a magnificent inscription (4).
Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1794, VIII, 205; Notizie per l'anno 1732. Rome : Nella Stamperia del Chracas, presso S. Marco al Corso, 1732, p. 177; Notizie per l'anno 1736. Rome : Nella Stamperia del Chracas, presso S. Marco al Corso, 1736, p. 200; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen V (1667-1730). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1952, pp. 36, 45, 51, 133 and 180; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), II, 590.
Webgraphy. His tomb in S. Salvatore al Lauro, Rome, The Australian National University; his engraving by Johannes Christoph Kolb, Antiquariat Hille, Berlin.
(1) This is according to Ritzler, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi, V, 180. Notizie per l'anno 1732, p. 177, says
that he was born on September 29, 1653.
(2) This is according to Ritzler, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi, V, 36, note 6, which adds that he was
78 years, 4 months and 27 days old. Gazzeta di Bologna says that he died on February 23, 1732, at 10 a.m. Diario Romano indicates that he died on
Sunday February 24, 1732, at 10 a.m., when he was 78 years, 4 months and 27 days old.
(3) This is according to Ritzler, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris
Aevi, V, 36; and Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, 205. Notizie per l'anno 1736, p. 200, says that he was
buried in the church of S. Maria di Loreto, de la Nazione Marchegiana. The church of S. Salvatore in Lauro is the regional church Piceni e Marchigiani; and in its
façade is the sculpture of the Madonna of Loreto, riding through the sky on the Holy House of Nazareth. Therefore, they are probably the same church.
(4) This is the
text of his funeral monument, kindly provided by Mr. Eman Bonnici, from Malta:
PROSPERO MAREFVSCO MACERATENSI · S · R · E · CARDINALI
PONT · MAXX BENEDICTI XIII ET CLEMENTIS XII · VIC · GEN
A · SAC · COGNITIONIBVS OPTIM · PRINCIPVM CLEMENTIS XI
INNOC · ET · BENED · XIII · VIX · AN · LXXVIII · M · IIII · D · XXVI
MARIVS · MASS · MAREFVSCVS · S · RIT · CONG · A · SEC
HERES · AVVNCVLO · B · M · F · I
(4) 2. PIPIA, O.P., Agostino (1660-1730)
Birth. October 1, 1660, Seneghe, diocese of Arborea, Sardinia (1). Of poor and humble parents. His last name is also listed as Pipiá.
Education. When he was still a youngster, his parents sent him to Oristano to receive his initial education; he was taught letters by the Dominican friars; later, he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) at the convent of S. Martino, Oristano; there, he studied rhetoric and philosophy; then, he was sent to Palma de Mallorca, where he studied theology and professed.
Priesthood. Ordained (no information found). Major lector and regent at the Dominican convent in Palma. Professor of theology, Luliana University, Majorca. He distinguished himself so much that Fr. Antonino Cloche master general of his order called him to Rome. Professor of physics, Studium Urbis, Rome, 1701. Regent of Collegio S. Maria sopra Minerva, Rome. Theologian Casanattense. Secretary of the S.C. of the Index, May 12, 1711. Consultor of the S.C. of the Rites. Elected sixty-first master general of his order on May 31, 1721; occupied the post, after his promotion to the cardinalate, until May 1725, when he was succeeded by Father Tomás Ripoll.
Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 20, 1724; received the red hat and the title of S. Sisto, January 29, 1725.
Episcopate. Elected bishop of Osimo, December 20, 1724. On December 20, 1724, he was granted permission to continue as master general of his order until the celebration of the next general chapter to be held in Bologna in Pentecost 1725. Consecrated, December 31, 1724, church of S. Maria sopra Minerva, interior chapel, Rome, by Pope Benedict XIII, assisted by Cesare Lucini, O.P., bishop of Gravina, and by Giacinto Chiurlia, O.P., bishop of Giovinazzo. On August 19, 1725, the see of Cingoli was united to Osimo. Celebrate a diocesan synod. Protector of Sardinia, November 1725. Resigned government of the diocese, January 1726. Sponsored a concordat between Sardinia and the Holy See, 1726. On September 30, 1727, he was named protector of the Benedictine Congregation of Vallombrossa. Opted for the title of S. Maria sopra Minerva, March 3, 1729.
Death. Tuesday February 21, 1730, at 2 or 3 a.m., Rome. He died a few hours before Pope Benedict XIII. Exposed and buried in the church of S. Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, where the funeral also took place (2). In his will, he made the Dominican convent of S. Maria sopra Minerva his beneficiary.
Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1794, VIII, 205-206; Creytens, Raymond. "Les annotations secrètes du maître général Augustin Pipia O. P. sur l’examen ad gradus des dominicains italiens (1721-1724)", in Archivum Fratrum Praedicatorum, XLII (1972), 167-197; Notizie per l'anno 1726. Rome : Nella Stamperia del Chracas, presso S. Marco al Corso, 1726, p. 195; Ramis-Barceló, Rafael. "Fray Agustín Pipia y la Univesidad luliana y literaria de Mallorca", in Archivum Fratrum Praedicatorum, LXXX (2010), 177-199; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen V (1667-1730). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1952, pp. 36, 47, 51 and 108.
Webgraphy. Biography by Stefano Tabacchi, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 84 (2015), Treccani; biography by Laureano Robles, in Spanish, Diccionario Biográfico Español; biography, in Italian, Wikipedia; biography, in Italian, Dizionario biografico degli uomini illustri di Sardegna, N-Z, III, 146-150; his portrait, flickr; his portrait, Museo Pinacoteca Eliseo, Terralba, Sardinia; his engraving and portrait, Araldica Vaticana; his tomb, Requiem Datenbank; List of the Masters General since the foundation of the Order, The Order of Preachers; Il piccolo cardinale rispettato dai Papi Fra Agostino Pipia di Seneghe grande per i suoi talenti e la sua pietà by Beppe Meloni, La Nuova Sardegna, 2001-02-24.
(1) Some sources like Enciclopedia universal ilustrada europeo-americana, Madrid : Espasa-Calpe, 1958,
c1907?-1930, 70 vols., consider him a Spanish cardinal because Sardinia was a possession of Spain until 1720.
(2) this is the text of his epitaph, taken from Requiem Datenbank, linked above:
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